India’s star batsman Virat Kohli recently shared insights into the challenges he faced early in his international career. Speaking on the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) podcast, Kohli reflected on the immense pressure and self-doubt he experienced as a young player representing India on the big stage.
Kohli recalled a particularly tough moment when he was called up as a last-minute replacement for the injured Yuvraj Singh during a high-stakes match against Pakistan in the 2009 ICC Champions Trophy. At the time, Kohli was still new to international cricket and eager to prove himself. However, he managed to score only 16 runs before being dismissed while trying to hit Shahid Afridi for a six. India went on to lose the match by 54 runs.
“That was my first India-Pakistan game. I scored about 16. I tried to hit Shahid Afridi for a six straight down the ground and got caught at long-on. We lost that game. It was an important moment, and my heart was beating so fast through the whole innings. I couldn’t process everything that happened within those four days,” Kohli shared.
The defeat left a deep impact on Kohli, who admitted that he struggled to sleep and was filled with self-doubt. He feared that the loss and his poor performance might have ended his international career before it had even begun. “It was a big loss and I just couldn’t sleep. I was awake till five in the morning, staring at the ceiling. I thought, ‘This is it. I’ve been called back after a year, and I’ve messed it all up. I don’t know how this is going to shape up.’ I had a lot of moments like that where I really doubted myself. I had to recalibrate and slowly build myself back up,” he said.
Despite the setback, Kohli explained that the experience became a turning point for him. The disappointment pushed him to become more resilient and determined, eventually helping him grow into one of India’s most reliable players, especially in high-pressure matches against Pakistan.